CONFIDENTIAL
-4-
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
9. On 14 January, the Hong Kong Government published its White
Paper on District Administration, intended to widen the existing
means of community participation and consultation.
Under the
proposals, the present District Advisory Boards in the New
Territories would be renamed District Boards, and similar Boards
would be established in the Urban Area, but with narrower terms of
reference so as to avoid impingeing on the powers of the Urban
Council. The District Management system, already operated in one
District, would be extended to all Districts. Anyone over the
age of 21 with a minimum of 7 years' residence in Hong Kong would be
entitled to vote and elections for the Boards and the Urban Council
would be on a constituency basis. Legislation will be passed on
this later this year, with a view to holding elections in early 1982.
10. Extension of representative government to the Legislative of
Executive Councils would not be politic, as it would be construed
by the Chinese and internationally as a move towards independence.
A directly elected Governor is constitutionally impossible.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON PRESSURE GROUPS (SCOPG)
11.
In 1977, the Hong Kong Government set up this Standing
Committee to advise on the views of a wide range of people in
the community and, in particular, of groups who have been critical
of Hong Kong Government policies. Its function is to ensure that
these views are fully understood and to advise the Hong Kong
Government how to respond. In December 1980, a SCOPG report
was leaked to the New Statesman and gave rise to an article which
described SCOPG as a part of a conspiracy to inhibit free
expression by infiltrating pressure groups.
These charges have
been cleared by the Hong Kong Government but have aroused some
Parliamentary interest.
CONFIDENTIAL
/THE FILM